WHAT IS CRYSTAL METH?
Photo credit: istock.com/Lou Oats
Crystal meth is short for crystal methamphetamine. It is just one form of the drug
methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine is a white crystalline drug that people take by snorting it (inhaling
through the nose), smoking it or injecting it with a needle. Some even take it orally, but all
develop a strong desire to continue using it because the drug creates a false sense of
happiness and well-being—a rush (strong feeling) of confidence, hyperactiveness and
energy. One also experiences decreased appetite. These drug effects generally last from six
to eight hours, but can last up to twenty-four hours.
The first experience might involve some pleasure, but from the start, methamphetamine
begins to destroy the user’s life.
Meth user in 2002
...and 2 1/2 years later
WHAT IS METHAMPHETAMINE?
Methamphetamine is an illegal drug in the same class as cocaine and other powerful street
drugs. It has many nicknames—meth, crank, chalk or speed being the most common. (See
the list of street names.)
Crystal meth is used by individuals of all ages, but is most commonly used as a “club drug,”
taken while partying in night clubs or at rave parties. Its most common street names
are iceor glass.
It is a dangerous and potent chemical and, as with all drugs, a poison that first acts as a
stimulant but then begins to systematically destroy the body. Thus it is associated with
serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior and
potential heart and brain damage.
Highly addictive, meth burns up the body’s resources, creating a devastating dependence
that can only be relieved by taking more of the drug.
Crystal meth’s effect is highly concentrated, and many users report getting hooked
(addicted) from the first time they use it.
“I tried it once and BOOM! I was addicted,” said one meth addict who lost his family,
friends, his profession as a musician and ended up homeless.
Consequently, it is one of the hardest drug addictions to treat and many die in its grip.
“I started using crystal meth when I was a senior in high school. Before my first semester of
college was up, meth became such a big problem that I had to drop out. I looked like I had
chicken pox, from hours of staring at myself in the mirror and picking at myself. I spent all
my time either doing meth, or trying to get it.”
WHAT DOES METHAMPHETAMINE LOOK LIKE?
(Photo credit: DEA/drugs)
Methamphetamine usually comes in the form of a crystalline white powder that is odorless,
bitter-tasting and dissolves easily in water or alcohol.
Other colors of powder have been observed, including brown, yellow-gray, orange and even
pink. It can also be compressed into pill form.
As covered earlier, it can be snorted, smoked or injected.
Crystal meth comes in clear chunky crystals resembling ice and is most commonly smoked.
WHAT IS METH MADE FROM?
A crystal meth laboratory
Methamphetamine is a synthetic (man-made) chemical, unlike cocaine, for instance, which
comes from a plant.
Meth is commonly manufactured in illegal, hidden laboratories, mixing various forms of
amphetamine (another stimulant drug) or derivatives with other chemicals to boost its
potency. Common pills for cold remedies are often used as the basis for the production of
the drug. The meth “cook” extracts ingredients from those pills and to increase its strength
combines the substance with chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and
antifreeze.
These dangerous chemicals are potentially explosive and because the meth cooks are drug
users themselves and disoriented, they are often severely burned and disfigured or killed
when their preparations explode. Such accidents endanger others in nearby homes or
buildings.
The illegal laboratories create a lot of toxic waste as well—the production of one pound of
methamphetamine produces five pounds of waste. People exposed to this waste material
can become poisoned and sick.
“Welfare money was not enough to pay for our meth habit and support our son so we
turned our rented home into a meth lab. We stored the toxic chemicals in our refrigerator
not knowing that the toxins would permeate [go into] the other food in the icebox.
“When I gave my three-year-old son some cheese to eat, I did not know that I was giving
him poisoned food. I was too stoned on meth to notice, until twelve hours later, that my son
was deathly ill. But then I was so stoned it took me two hours to figure out how to get him
to the hospital five miles away. By the time I got to the emergency room my boy was
pronounced dead of a lethal dose of ammonia hydroxide—one of the chemicals used to
make meth.” —Melanie
A WORLDWIDE EPIDEMIC OF ADDICTION
The toxic ingredients in meth lead to severe tooth decay known as “meth mouth.” The teeth become black,
stained, and rotting, often to the point where they have to be pulled. The teeth and gums are destroyed
from the inside, and the roots rot away.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated the worldwide production of
amphetamine-type stimulants, which includes methamphetamine, at nearly 500 metric tons
a year, with 24.7 million abusers.
The United States government reported in 2008 that approximately 13 million people over
the age of 12 have used methamphetamine—and 529,000 of those are regular users.
In 2007, 4.5% of American high-school seniors and 4.1% of tenth grade students reported
using methamphetamine at least once in their life.
In the United States, the percentage of drug treatment admissions due to
methamphetamine and amphetamine abuse tripled from 3% in 1996 to 9% in 2006. Some
states have much higher percentages, such as Hawaii, where 48.2% of the people seeking
help for drug or alcohol abuse in 2007 were methamphetamine users.
It is a drug widely abused in the Czech Republic. There it is called Pervitin and is produced
in small hidden laboratories and a limited number of larger ones. Consumption is primarily
domestic but Pervitin is also exported to other parts of Europe and Canada. The Czech
Republic, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia and Latvia reported amphetamines and
methamphetamine as accounting for between 20% and 60% of those seeking drug abuse
treatment.
In Southeast Asia, the most common form of methamphetamine is a small pill—called a
Yaba in Thailand and a Shabu in the Philippines.
THE DEADLY EFFECTS OF METH
The hideous look of crystal meth shows on the scarred and prematurely aged faces of those who abuse it.
(Photo credit: courtesy Attorney General’s Office, Taswell County, Illinois)
The short-term and long-term impact of the individual
When taken, meth and crystal meth create a false sense of well-being and energy, and so a
person will tend to push his body faster and further than it is meant to go. Thus, drug users
can experience a severe “crash” or physical and mental breakdown after the effects of the
drugs wear off.
Because continued use of the drug decreases natural feelings of hunger, users can
experience extreme weight loss. Negative effects can also include disturbed sleep patterns,
hyperactivity, nausea, delusions of power, increased aggressiveness and irritability.
Other serious effects can include insomnia, confusion, hallucinations, anxiety and
paranoia.1 In some cases, use can cause convulsions that lead to death.
Long-range damage
In the long term, meth use can cause irreversible harm: increased heart rate and blood
pressure; damaged blood vessels in the brain that can cause strokes or an irregular
heartbeat that can, in turn, cause cardiovascular2 collapse or death; and liver, kidney and
lung damage.
Users may suffer brain damage, including memory loss and an increasing inability to grasp
abstract thoughts. Those who recover are usually subject to memory gaps and extreme
mood swings.
METH HARM
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS









Loss of appetite
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
Dilation of pupils
Disturbed sleep patterns
Nausea
Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
Hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability
Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures and death from high doses
LONG-TERM EFFECTS












Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading
to heart attacks, strokes and death
Liver, kidney and lung damage
Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
Respiratory (breathing) problems if smoked
Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
Malnutrition, weight loss
Severe tooth decay
Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion
Strong psychological dependence
Psychosis
Depression
Damage to the brain similar to Alzheimer’s disease,3 stroke and epilepsy
HOW METHAMPHETAMINE AFFECTS PEOPLE’S LIVES
When people take methamphetamine, it takes over their lives in varying degrees. There are
three categories of abuse.
LOW-INTENSITY METH ABUSE:
Low-intensity abusers swallow or snort methamphetamine. They want the extra stimulation
methamphetamine provides so they can stay awake long enough to finish a task or a job, or
they want the appetite-suppressant effect to lose weight. They are one step away from
becoming “binge” (meaning uncontrolled use of a substance) abusers.
BINGE METH ABUSE:
Binge abusers smoke or inject methamphetamine with a needle. This allows them to receive
a more intense dose of the drug and experience a stronger “rush” that is psychologically
addictive. They are on the verge of moving into high-intensity abuse.
HIGH-INTENSITY METH ABUSE:
The high-intensity abusers are the addicts, often called “speed freaks.” Their whole
existence focuses on preventing the crash, that painful letdown after the drug high. In order
to achieve the desired “rush” from the drug, they must take more and more of it. But as
with other drugs, each successive meth high is less than the one before, urging the meth
addict into a dark and deadly spiral of addiction.
THE STAGES OF THE METH “EXPERIENCE”
1) The Rush—A rush is the initial response the abuser feels when smoking or injecting
methamphetamine. During the rush, the abuser’s heartbeat races and metabolism, 1blood
pressure and pulse soar. Unlike the rush associated with crack cocaine, which lasts for
approximately two to five minutes, the methamphetamine rush can continue for up to thirty
minutes.
2) The High—The rush is followed by a high, sometimes called “the shoulder.” During the
high, the abuser often feels aggressively smarter and becomes argumentative, often
interrupting other people and finishing their sentences. The delusional effects can result in a
user becoming intensely focused on an insignificant item, such as repeatedly cleaning the
same window for several hours. The high can last four to sixteen hours.
3) The Binge—A binge is uncontrolled use of a drug or alcohol. It refers to the abuser’s
urge to maintain the high by smoking or injecting more methamphetamine. The binge can
last three to fifteen days. During the binge, the abuser becomes hyperactive both mentally
and physically. Each time the abuser smokes or injects more of the drug, he experiences
another but smaller rush until, finally, there is no rush and no high.
4) Tweaking—A methamphetamine abuser is most dangerous when experiencing a phase
of the addiction called “tweaking”—a condition reached at the end of a drug binge when
methamphetamine no longer provides a rush or a high. Unable to relieve the horrible
feelings of emptiness and craving, an abuser loses his sense of identity. Intense itching is
common and a user can become convinced that bugs are crawling under his skin. Unable to
sleep for days at a time, the abuser is often in a completely psychotic state and he exists in
his own world, seeing and hearing things that no one else can perceive. His hallucinations
are so vivid that they seem real and, disconnected from reality, he can become hostile and
dangerous to himself and others. The potential for self-mutilation is high.
5) The Crash—To a binge abuser, the crash happens when the body shuts down, unable to
cope with the drug effects overwhelming it; this results in a long period of sleep for the
person. Even the meanest, most violent abuser becomes almost lifeless during the crash.
The crash can last one to three days.
6) Meth Hangover—After the crash, the abuser returns in a deteriorated state, starved,
dehydrated and utterly exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. This stage ordinarily
lasts from two to fourteen days. This leads to enforced addiction, as the “solution” to these
feelings is to take more meth.
7) Withdrawal—Often thirty to ninety days can pass after the last drug use before the
abuser realizes that he is in withdrawal. First, he becomes depressed, loses his energy and
the ability to experience pleasure. Then the craving for more methamphetamine hits, and
the abuser often becomes suicidal. Since meth withdrawal is extremely painful and difficult,
most abusers revert; thus, 93% of those in traditional treatment return to abusing
methamphetamine.
HISTORY OF METHAMPHETAMINE
Kamikaze pilots were given methamphetamine before their suicide missions.
Methamphetamine is not a new drug, although it has become more powerful in recent years
as techniques for its manufacture have evolved.
Amphetamine was first made in 1887 in Germany and methamphetamine, more potent and
easy to make, was developed in Japan in 1919. The crystalline powder was soluble in water,
making it a perfect candidate for injection.
Methamphetamine went into wide use during World War II, when both sides used it to keep
troops awake. High doses were given to Japanese Kamikaze pilots before their suicide
missions. And after the war, methamphetamine abuse by injection reached epidemic
proportions when supplies stored for military use became available to the Japanese public.
In the 1950s, methamphetamine was prescribed as a diet aid and to fight depression. Easily
available, it was used as a nonmedical stimulant by college students, truck drivers and
athletes and abuse of the drug spread.
This pattern changed markedly in the 1960s with the increased availability of injectable
methamphetamine, worsening the abuse.
Then, in 1970, the US government made it illegal for most uses. After that, American
motorcycle gangs controlled most of the production and distribution of the drug. Most users
at the time lived in rural communities and could not afford the more expensive cocaine.
In the 1990s, Mexican drug trafficking organizations set up large laboratories in California.
While these massive labs are able to generate fifty pounds of the substance in a single
weekend, smaller private labs have sprung up in kitchens and apartments, earning the drug
one of its names, “stove top.” From there it spread across the United States and into
Europe, through the Czech Republic. Today, most of the drug available in Asia is produced
in Thailand, Myanmar and China.
WHAT ARE INHALANTS?
“Inhalants” refers to the vapors from toxic substances which are inhaled to reach a quick
high. Of more than 1,000 household and other common products that could be abused as
inhalants, most often used are shoe polish, glue, toluene,1 gasoline, lighter fluid, nitrous
oxide2 or “whippets,” spray paint, correction fluid, cleaning fluid, amyl nitrite 3 or “poppers,”
locker room deodorizers or “rush,” and lacquer thinner or other paint solvents.
Most of these produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body’s functions.
After an initial high and loss of inhibition comes drowsiness, light-headedness and agitation.
The chemicals are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and quickly
reach the brain and other organs, sometimes causing irreversible physical and mental
damage.
Users inhale the chemical vapors directly from open containers (“sniffing”) or breathe the
fumes from rags soaked in chemicals (“huffing”). Some spray the substance directly into the
nose or mouth, or pour it onto their collar, sleeves or cuffs and sniff them periodically. In
“bagging,” the user may inhale fumes from substances inside a paper or plastic bag.
Bagging in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation.
“Poppers” and “whippets,” sold at concerts and dance clubs, are composed of poisonous
chemicals that can permanently damage the body and brain.
HOW DO INHALANTS AFFECT YOUR BODY?
Inhalant use can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, liver, bone marrow and other
organs.
Photo credit: Thomas Tamm

Inhalants starve the body of oxygen and force the heart to beat irregularly and more
rapidly.

Users can experience nausea and nosebleeds and lose their sense of hearing or
smell. Chronic use can lead to muscle wasting and reduced muscle tone, and the
poisonous chemicals gradually damage the lungs and the immune system.

An inhalant user risks Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. Death can occur the first
time or the hundredth time an inhalant is used.
“It was a steady progression from glue sniffing, gas sniffing, magic mushrooms, that went
on until I was 17. Then I started on cannabis. I was spending my money on as much
cannabis as I could get my hands on. Then I was old enough to go into the clubs, so I
started there on amphetamines and Ecstasy....
“I began hanging out with people who were taking heroin, and soon I was using it more and
more until I was addicted. I had no idea then the damage it would cause me later...that I
would be serving one prison sentence after another, burglarizing people’s houses, stealing
from my family. All the pain and heartache that I have caused was worse than stealing the
material things from them.” —Dennis
“When I was in fourth grade a so-called friend of mine introduced me to inhalants. Being so
young and not knowing any better, I started huffing gas every day all the way up to my
eighth grade year. My motor function skills are pretty much shot and I sit for hours on end
just staring into space without a single thought even crossing my mind. It’s like my body is
here but I am not. I have a hard time holding down jobs and I have been living by myself
now for twelve years. I look normal from the outside but when I try to show interest and
talk to women, it becomes apparent that I am pretty much a vegetable. I am sick of living
this way and I would rather be dead than to live my life like this anymore, because it seems
like I’m already dead anyway.” —John
INHALANTS’ EFFECTS
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
Most inhalants act directly on the nervous system to produce mind-altering effects. Within
seconds, the user experiences intoxication and other effects similar to those from alcohol.
There are a variety of effects that may be experienced during or shortly after use, including:












Slurred speech
Drunk, dizzy or dazed appearance
Inability to coordinate movement
Hallucinations and delusions
Hostility
Apathy
Impaired judgment
Unconsciousness
Severe headaches
Rashes around the nose and mouth
Prolonged sniffing of these chemicals can induce irregular and rapid heartbeat and
lead to heart failure and death within minutes.
Death from suffocation can occur by replacing oxygen in the lungs with the chemical,
and then in the central nervous system, so that breathing ceases.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Long-term users have experienced:







Muscle weakness
Disorientation
Lack of coordination
Irritability
Depression
Serious and sometimes irreversible damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and
brain
Memory impairment, diminished intelligence



Hearing loss
Bone marrow damage
Deaths from heart failure or asphyxiation (loss of oxygen)
The chronic use of inhalants has been associated with a number of serious health problems.
Sniffing glue and paint thinner causes kidney problems. Sniffing toluene and other solvents
causes liver damage. Inhalant abuse has also resulted in memory impairment and
diminished intelligence.
ARE INHALANTS ADDICTIVE?
Inhalants can be physically and psychologically addictive. Users report a strong urge to
continue using inhalants, especially after continued usage over many days.
Habitual users coming off inhalants suffer withdrawal symptoms which can include nausea,
excessive sweating, muscle cramps, headaches, chills, agitation, with shaking and
hallucinations. In severe cases, withdrawal can cause convulsions.
“Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of our son Justin’s death. He was 16. He died from
inhaling air freshener, an act of inhalant abuse. His senseless death rocked the worlds of all
who knew him. Justin was an honors student who loved life and embraced it with
enthusiasm. . . . He was a source of inspiration for many. . . . I will always be haunted by
the question of whether Justin would be with us today had he known about the risks he was
taking.” —Jackie
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS
22% of inhalant abusers who died had no history of previous inhalant abuse. In Karachi, Pakistan, 80% to
90% of street kids sniff glue or solvents.
A US survey, combining data from 2002 to 2006, found that an annual average of 593,000
teens aged 12 to 17 had used inhalants for the first time in the year before they took the
survey.

More than 22.9 million Americans have experimented with inhalants at some point in
their lives.

One state in the US averaged more than 3,800 emergency room visits and 450
hospitalizations a year due to inhalant poisonings, according to statistics released in
2008.

By the time students in the US reach the eighth grade, one in five will have used
inhalants. In 2007, inhalants were the substance most frequently abused by youth
aged 12 or 13.

22% of inhalant abusers who died of Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome had no
history of previous inhalant abuse—they were first-time users.

According to the European School Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 20% of youth
in the 12 to 16 age group have tried inhalants.

In Nairobi, Kenya, an estimated 60,000 children live on the streets and almost all are
addicted to some sort of inhalant.

In the Pakistani city of Karachi there are an estimated 14,000 street kids, of whom
80% to 90% sniff glue or solvents.

In the US, the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 1.1 million
youths aged 12 to 17 had used inhalants in the past year.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INHALANTS


Photo credit: iStockphoto



Inhalants can be categorized into four different types:





LIQUIDS that vaporize at room temperatures. These are found in numerous easily
available household and industrial products including paint thinners, degreasers,
gasoline, glues, correction fluids and felt-tip marker fluids.
SPRAYS such as spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays, vegetable oil sprays for
cooking and fabric protector sprays.
GASES including medical anesthetics (ether, chloroform and nitrous oxide,
commonly called “laughing gas”), butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream
dispensers and refrigerants.
NITRITES (a chemical compound found in food preservatives, leather cleaner, room
deodorizers, etc.) are considered a special class of inhalants which act directly on the
central nervous system, brain and spinal cord. They are used mainly as sexual
enhancers and are commonly known as “poppers” or “snappers.”
“For three days, a friend gave me glue free of cost. On the fourth day he asked for
money from me. By then, I was addicted and I had to give him money to get a tube
of glue. I needed several tubes of glue daily.” —Marty
ARE INHALANTS LEGAL?


“I actually found myself talking to what I call ‘gas buddies’ (the hallucinations). One day I was huffing
and I thought my friend died because the hallucination of him came to me.
“I found myself huffing not only for the visuals, but for the company of these imaginary ‘friends’ that
would come to me when I would start to huff. I have been struggling with this addiction for about seven
months now.” —Erin





Although inhalants are not regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, thirty-eight
states in the US have placed restrictions on the sale and distribution to minors of certain
products that are commonly abused as inhalants. Some states have introduced fines,
incarceration or mandatory treatment for the sale, distribution, use and/or possession of
inhalant chemicals.
Laws also exist in some US states prohibiting the recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide.
Some communities in Western Australia and South Australia have passed local laws
making petrol sniffing an offense. In Victoria and Western Australia, police are allowed
to search a person who is reasonably believed to be in possession of an inhalant and
confiscate it.
In England and Wales, it is illegal for retailers to sell volatile substances to anyone under
the age of eighteen if there is reason to believe they will use it for inhalation and
intoxication purposes.
INHALANTS: A SHORT HISTORY





Photo credit: Talaria Enterprises
The inhaling of fumes from chemicals such as incense, oils, resins, spices and
perfumes to alter consciousness, or as part of religious ceremonies, dates back to
ancient times in Egypt, Babylonia (present-day Iraq), India and China.
According to some researchers, inhaling gas vapors to alter one’s state of
consciousness was practiced by priestesses at the Oracle of Delphi1 in ancient
Greece.
In the early 1800s, nitrous oxide, ether and chloroform were the anesthetics used
commonly as intoxicants.








Sir Humphry Davy
Nitrous oxide was regarded as a cheap substitute for alcohol and was popularized by
the British scientist Sir Humphry Davy. He held nitrous oxide parties and coined the
word “laughing gas” in 1799. Noting the anesthetic effects, Davy proposed that the
gas could be used for operations, although this was not tried for another half
century.
The use of anesthetics for recreational purposes continued throughout the nineteenth
century in Europe and the US.
Ether was used as a recreational drug during the 1920s Prohibition era, when alcohol
was made illegal in the US.
In the 1940s, recreational use of solvents, primarily gasoline, became popular.
Abuse of inhalants in the United States increased in the 1950s and is now
widespread among adolescents.
By the 1960s, the practice of solvent sniffing had spread across a wide variety of
commercial products including paint and lacquer thinners, nail polish remover, shoe
polish, lighter fluid, spray paint and others.



In more recent years, glue and gas sniffing has become a widespread problem
among homeless street children in South Asia, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Kenya and
other areas around the world. Street kids use these inhalants to numb the pain of
hunger, cold and desperation.
Gas and spray paint sniffing is also common in remote regions in Canada, America,
Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific Islands.
THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS
The real answer is to get the facts and not to take drugs in the first place.
Drugs are essentially poisons. The amount taken determines the effect.
A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative
(slows you down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill.
This is true of any drug. Only the amount needed to achieve the effect differs.
But many drugs have another liability: they directly affect the mind. They can distort the
user’s perception of what is happening around him or her. As a result, the person’s actions
may be odd, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive.
Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. So, while providing
short-term help in the relief of pain, they also wipe out ability and alertness and muddy
one’s thinking.
Medicines are drugs that are intended to speed up or slow down or change something about
the way your body is working, to try to make it work better. Sometimes they are necessary.
But they are still drugs: they act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you. So if
you do not use medicines as they are supposed to be used, they can be as dangerous as
illegal drugs.
WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS?
People take drugs because they want to change something in their lives.
Here are some of the reasons young people have given for taking drugs:






To
To
To
To
To
To
fit in
escape or relax
relieve boredom
seem grown up
rebel
experiment
They think drugs are a solution. But eventually, the drugs become the problem.
Difficult as it may be to face one’s problems, the consequences of drug use are always
worse than the problem one is trying to solve with them. The real answer is to get the facts
and not to take drugs in the first place.
MAKE SURE OTHERS GET THE FACTS
These pages of drugfreeworld.org are based on the content of our thirteen easy-to-read
booklets in The Truth About Drugs series.
These booklets are free and can be ordered as a set or individually. You can give them to
friends, family and others who should know the facts they contain.
HEROIN: WHAT IS IT?
Heroin is a highly addictive, illegal drug. It is used by millions of addicts around the world
who are unable to overcome the urge to continue taking this drug every day of their lives—
knowing that if they stop, they will face the horror of withdrawal.
Heroin (like opium and morphine) is made from the resin of poppy plants. Milky, sap-like
opium is first removed from the pod of the poppy flower. This opium is refined to make
morphine, then further refined into different forms of heroin.
Most heroin is injected, creating additional risks for the user, who faces the danger of AIDS
or other infection on top of the pain of addiction.
“Heroin cut me off from the rest of the world. My parents kicked me out. My friends and my
brothers didn’t want to see me anymore. I was all alone.” —Suzanne
Photo credit: istock.com/Peeter Viisimaa
THE ORIGINS OF HEROIN
Heroin was first manufactured in 1898 by the Bayer pharmaceutical company of Germany
and marketed as a treatment for tuberculosis as well as a remedy for morphine addiction.
A VICIOUS CIRCLE
During the 1850s, opium addiction was a major problem in the United States. The “solution”
was to provide opium addicts with a less potent and supposedly “non-addictive” substitute—
morphine. Morphine addiction soon became a bigger problem than opium addiction.
As with opium, the morphine problem was solved by another “non-addictive” substitute—
heroin, which proved to be even more addictive than morphine. With the heroin problem
came yet another “non-addictive” substitute—the drug now known as methadone. First
developed in 1937 by German scientists searching for a surgical painkiller, it was exported
to the US and given the trade name “Dolophine” in 1947. Renamed methadone, the drug
was soon being widely used as a treatment for heroin addiction. Unfortunately, it proved to
be even more addictive than heroin.
By the late 1990s, the mortality rate of heroin addicts was estimated to be as high as
twenty times greater than the rest of the population.
WHAT DOES HEROIN LOOK LIKE?
Photo credit: istock.com/Stephanie Horrocks
In its purest form, heroin is a fine white powder. But more often, it is found to be rose gray,
brown or black in color. The coloring comes from additives which have been used to dilute
it, which can include sugar, caffeine or other substances. Street heroin is sometimes “cut”
with strychnine1 or other poisons. The various additives do not fully dissolve, and when they
are injected into the body, can clog the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, kidneys or
brain. This itself can lead to infection or destruction of vital organs.
The user buying heroin on the street never knows the actual strength of the drug in that
particular packet. Thus, users are constantly at risk of an overdose.
Heroin can be injected, smoked or sniffed. The first time it is used, the drug creates a
sensation of being high. A person can feel extroverted, able to communicate easily with
others and may experience a sensation of heightened sexual performance—but not for long.
Heroin is highly addictive and withdrawal extremely painful. The drug quickly breaks down
the immune system, finally leaving one sickly, extremely thin and bony and, ultimately,
dead.
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS

An estimated 13.5 million people in the world take opioids (opium-like substances),
including 9.2 million who use heroin.

In 2007, 93% of the world’s opium supply came from Afghanistan. (Opium is the raw
material for heroin supply.) Its total export value was about $4 billion, of which almost
three quarters went to traffickers. About a quarter went to Afghan opium farmers.

The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 153,000 current heroin users
in the US in 2007. Other estimates give figures as high as 900,000.

Opiates, mainly heroin, were involved in four of every five drug-related deaths in Europe,
according to a 2008 report from the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug
Addiction.

Opiates, mainly heroin, account for 18% of the admissions for drug and alcohol treatment
in the US.
“From the day I started using, I never stopped. Within one week I had gone from snorting heroin
to shooting it. Within one month I was addicted and going through all my money. I sold
everything of value that I owned and eventually everything that my mother owned. Within one
year, I had lost everything.
“I sold my car, lost my job, was kicked out of my mother’s house, was $25,000 in credit card
debt, and living on the streets of Camden, New Jersey. I lied, I stole, I cheated.
“I was raped, beaten, mugged, robbed, arrested, homeless, sick and desperate. I knew that
nobody could have a lifestyle like that very long and I knew that death was imminent. If anything,
death was better than a life as a junkie.” —Alison
THE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF HEROIN
Drugs equal death. If you do nothing to get out, you end up dying. To be a drug addict is to
be imprisoned. In the beginning, you think drugs are your friend (they may seem to help
you escape the things or feelings that bother you). But soon, you will find you get up in the
morning thinking only about drugs.
“Your whole day is spent finding or taking drugs. You get high all afternoon. At night, you
put yourself to sleep with heroin. And you live only for that. You are in a prison. You beat
your head against a wall, nonstop, but you don’t get anywhere. In the end, your prison
becomes your tomb.” —Sabrina
IMMEDIATE HARM: The initial effects of heroin include a surge of sensation—a “rush.”
This is often accompanied by a warm feeling of the skin and a dry mouth. Sometimes, the
initial reaction can include vomiting or severe itching.
After these initial effects fade, the user becomes drowsy for several hours. The basic body
functions such as breathing and heartbeat slow down.
Within hours after the drug effects have decreased, the addict’s body begins to crave more.
If he does not get another fix, he will begin to experience withdrawal. Withdrawal includes
the extreme physical and mental symptoms which are experienced if the body is not
supplied again with the next dose of heroin. Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness,
aches and pains in the bones, diarrhea, vomiting and severe discomfort.
The intense high a user seeks lasts only a few minutes. With continued use, he needs
increasing amounts of the drug just to feel “normal.”
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS






“Rush”
Slowed breathing
Clouded mental functioning
Nausea and vomiting
Sedation; drowsiness
Hypothermia (body temperature lower than normal)

Coma or death (due to overdose)
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF HEROIN
Heroin withdrawal is a terrifying experience that begins to torture the body within hours of the last fix. Photo
credit: istock.com/Peeter Viisimaa
The effects on the body from continued use of this drug are very destructive. Frequent
injections can cause collapsed veins and can lead to infections of the blood vessels and
heart valves. Tuberculosis1 can result from the general poor condition of the body. Arthritis
is another long-term result of heroin addiction.
The addict lifestyle—where heroin users often share their needles—leads to AIDS and other
contagious infections. It is estimated that of the 35,000 new hepatitis C2 (liver disease)
infections each year in the United States, over 70% are from drug users who use needles.
Abscesses from use of needles pockmark the body of a 16-year-old addict. Photo credit: U.S. Treasury
Department, Bureau of Narcotics/heroin addict
LONG-TERM EFFECTS INCLUDE


















Bad teeth
Inflammation of the gums
Constipation
Cold sweats
Itching
Weakening of the immune system
Coma
Respiratory (breathing) illnesses
Muscular weakness, partial paralysis
Reduced sexual capacity and long-term impotence in men
Menstrual disturbance in women
Inability to achieve orgasm (women and men)
Loss of memory and intellectual performance
Introversion
Depression
Pustules on the face
Loss of appetite
Insomnia
“People believe that heroin is super, but you lose everything: job, parents, friends,
confidence, your home. Lying and stealing become a habit. You no longer respect anyone or
anything.” —Pete
“I’LL JUST TRY IT ONCE.”
Warning: Even a single dose of heroin can start a person on the road to addiction.
Many people experiment with heroin thinking, “I’ll try it once or twice. I can always stop.” But
those who start down that road find it nearly impossible to turn back. Consider the words of Sam,
a 15-year-old addict: “When you first shoot up, you will most likely puke and feel repelled, but
soon you’ll try it again. It will cling to you like an obsessed lover. The rush of the hit and the way
you’ll want more, as if you were being deprived of air—that’s how it will trap you.”
The threat of addiction is not the worst consequence of experimenting with heroin. Jim was 21
years old and usually spent his evenings drinking beer with friends. He had already experimented
with heroin so when friends offered him a line to sniff, he accepted. Fifteen minutes after
inhaling, he passed out, then dropped into a deep coma which lasted more than two months.
Today, he is confined to a wheelchair, unable to write, barely able to read. Whatever dreams and
aspirations he once had are gone.
It is grimly ironic that Davidé Sorrenti (above)—the fashion photographer whose work was synonymous with
“heroin chic”—reportedly died at the age of twenty from heroin overdose.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Francesca Sorrenti
THE HEROIN “LOOK”
Once heroin frightened people. More recently, some people have tried to make heroin use
“fashionable.”
In the past decade, the “heroin addict look”—blank expression, waxy complexion, dark circles
under the eyes, sunken cheeks, excessive thinness, greasy hair—was promoted in popular
magazines and fashion circles as “chic.”
Just as rock stars helped popularize LSD during the 1960s, so have some fashion designers,
photographers and advertising people of today influenced an entire generation of youth, by
portraying heroin use in magazines and music videos as fashionable and even desirable.
A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE
Some children smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol when still very young. By the time they
graduate from high school, nearly 40% of all teens will have tried marijuana. Some later
move on to more addictive substances.
We cannot assume that all children who smoke marijuana today will become heroin addicts
tomorrow. But the danger does exist. And long-term studies of high school students show
that few young people use other drugs without first having tried marijuana. Once a person
can no longer get the initial “rush” he seeks, he begins to increase drug consumption or to
look for something stronger.
LET’S FACE REALITY
Children increasingly are coming into contact with illegal drugs.
The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 9.5% of youths
aged 12 to 17 in the US were current illegal drug users. In 2008, the National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that daily marijuana use
among college students had doubled, and use of cocaine and heroin was on the rise as well.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2008 an estimated 16 million people
worldwide used opiates—opium, morphine, heroin and synthetic opiates.
THE NEW FACE OF HEROIN
The image of a listless young heroin addict collapsed in a filthy, dark alley is obsolete.
Today, the young addict could be 12 years old, play video games and enjoy the music of his
generation. He could appear smart, stylish and bear none of the common traces of heroin
use, such as needle marks on his arm.
Because it is available in various forms that are easier to consume and more affordable,
heroin today is more tempting than ever. Between 1995 and 2002, the number of teenagers
in America, aged 12 to 17, who used heroin at some point in their lives increased by 300%.
A young person who might think twice about putting a needle in his arm may more readily
smoke or sniff the same drug. But this is falsely reassuring and may give one the idea that
there is less risk. The truth is that heroin in all its forms is dangerous and addictive.
CHEESE HEROIN
A highly addictive drug known as “cheese heroin” is a blend of black tar Mexican heroin (called
“black tar” because of its color) and over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM.
The drug costs only a couple of dollars a hit and children as young as 9, hooked on cheese
heroin, have been rushed to hospital emergency rooms for heroin withdrawal.
The combination of the two drugs can cause vital body functions such as breathing and heartbeat
to slow down and result in death. Since 2004, cheese heroin is responsible for at least forty
deaths in the North Texas region, according to local authorities.
WHAT DEALERS WILL TELL YOU
When teens were surveyed to find out why they started using drugs in the first place, 55% replied
that it was due to pressure from their friends. They wanted to be cool and popular. Dealers know
this.
They will approach you as a friend and offer to “help you out” with “something to bring you up.”
The drug will “help you fit in” or “make you cool.”
Drug dealers, motivated by the profits they make, will say anything to get you to buy their drugs.
They will tell you that “heroin is a warm blanket” or “heroin will be your best high.”
They don’t care if the drugs ruin your life as long as they are getting paid. All they care about is
money. Former dealers have admitted they saw their buyers as “pawns in a chess game.”
Get the facts about drugs. Make your own decisions.
WHAT IS LSD?
LSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from lysergic
acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
It is produced in crystal form in illegal laboratories, mainly in the United States. These
crystals are converted to a liquid for distribution. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly
bitter taste.
Known as “acid” and by many other names, LSD is sold on the street in small tablets
(“microdots”), capsules or gelatin squares (“window panes”). It is sometimes added to
absorbent paper, which is then divided into small squares decorated with designs or cartoon
characters (“loony toons”). Occasionally it is sold in liquid form. But no matter what form it
comes in, LSD leads the user to the same place—a serious disconnection from reality.
LSD users call an LSD experience a “trip,” typically lasting twelve hours or so. When things
go wrong, which often happens, it is called a “bad trip,” another name for a living hell.
WHAT IS AN HALLUCINOGEN?
Hallucinogens are drugs that cause hallucinations. Users see images, hear sounds and feel
sensations that seem very real but do not exist. Some hallucinogens also produce sudden
and unpredictable changes in the mood of those who use them.
Photo credit: DEA
“At the age of 16 I was introduced to a drug that I abused for over three years—LSD. What
I was unaware of was the fact that LSD is the most potent hallucinogen known to man.
“The drug came on a small piece of paper no bigger than my index finger, called a blotter.
Fifteen minutes after putting the paper on my tongue my entire body got hot and I began to
sweat.
“Some other reactions that I experienced while on the drug included dilated pupils, nausea
and ‘goose bumps.’ While high on LSD I felt like there was a huge distortion both in my
mind and body. The visual changes as well as the extreme changes in mood were like some
strange scary trip—one in which I felt like I had no control over my mind and body.” —
Edith
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF LSD?
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken, the person’s mood
and personality, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. It is a roll of the dice—a
racing, distorted high or a severe, paranoid1 low.
Normally, the first effects of LSD are experienced thirty to ninety minutes after taking the
drug. Often, the pupils become dilated. The body temperature can become higher or lower,
while the blood pressure and heart rate either increase or decrease. Sweating or chills are
not uncommon.
LSD users often experience loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth and tremors. Visual
changes are among the more common effects—the user can become fixated on the intensity
of certain colors.
Extreme changes in mood, anywhere from a spaced-out “bliss” to intense terror, are also
experienced. The worst part is that the LSD user is unable to tell which sensations are
created by the drug and which are part of reality.
Some LSD users experience an intense bliss they mistake for “enlightenment.”
Not only do they disassociate from their usual activities in life, but they also feel the urge to
keep taking more of the drug in order to re-experience the same sensation. Others
experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity
and death, and despair while using LSD. Once it starts, there is often no stopping a “bad
trip,” which can go on for up to twelve hours. In fact, some people never recover from an
acid-induced psychosis.
Taken in a large enough dose, LSD produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user’s
sense of time and self changes. Sizes and shapes of objects become distorted, as do
movements, colors and sounds. Even one’s sense of touch and the normal bodily sensations
turn into something strange and bizarre. Sensations may seem to “cross over,” giving the
user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and
can cause panic.
The ability to make sensible judgments and see common dangers is impaired. An LSD user
might try to step out a window to get a “closer look” at the ground. He might consider it fun
to admire the sunset, blissfully unaware that he is standing in the middle of a busy
intersection.
Many LSD users experience flashbacks, or a recurrence of the LSD trip, often without
warning, long after taking LSD.
Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks of LSD use. LSD users may manifest
relatively long-lasting psychoses or severe depression.
Because LSD accumulates in the body, users develop a tolerance for the drug. In other
words, some repeat users have to take it in increasingly higher doses to achieve a “high.”
This increases the physical effects and also the risk of a bad trip that could cause psychosis.
“At 13 years of age I took my first drink and soon after was introduced to marijuana. Then
LSD quickly fell into my hands and I became addicted, eating it like candy.
“One night during one of my binges I blacked out and awoke with blood all over my face
and vomit coming out of my mouth. By some miracle I pulled myself awake and cleaned
myself up. I got into the car, shaking, drove to my parent’s house. I climbed into bed with
my mom and cried.
“By the age of 21, I checked into my first rehab.” —Donna
1. 1.paranoid: suspicious, distrustful or afraid of other people.
THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF LSD
On LSD, which is often taken in tab form, an intense, altered state transforms into
disassociation and despair. Often there is no stopping “bad trips,” which can go on for up to
twelve hours.
“I started drinking at the age of 15. Then I progressed to taking Ecstasy, speed, cocaine
and LSD.
“I found it difficult to hold down a job and became depressed and thought I would never
overcome my obsession with drugs. I attempted suicide twice by overdosing on pills. I was
put under psychiatrists who gave me even more drugs, antidepressants and tranquilizers,
which just made matters worse.
“As an outlet for my feelings I turned to self-harm—I started cutting and burning myself.” —
Justin
PHYSICAL EFFECTS







Dilated pupils
Higher or lower body temperature
Sweating or chills (“goose bumps”)
Loss of appetite
Sleeplessness
Dry mouth
Tremors
MENTAL EFFECTS



Delusions
Visual hallucinations
An artificial sense of euphoria or certainty








Distortion of one’s sense of time and identity
Impaired depth perception
Impaired time perception, distorted perception of the size and shape of objects,
movements, color, sounds, touch and the user’s own body image
Severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings
Fear of losing control
Panic attacks
Flashbacks, or a recurrence of the LSD trip, often without warning long after taking
LSD
Severe depression or psychosis
"After taking the acid, I imagined that we had driven head-on into an eighteen-wheeler and
were killed. I could hear the screeching metal, then a dark and evil quiet. I was terrified at
this point, I actually thought we were dead....For a year I wouldn’t go into any cemetery
because I was terrified I would find my own grave.” —Jenny
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS
LSD is the most powerful hallucinogenic (mind-altering) drug. It is 100 times more potent than
hallucinogenic mushrooms.
In Europe, as many as 4.2% of those aged 15 to 24 have taken LSD at least once. When
surveyed, the percentage of people in this age group who had used LSD in the past year
exceeded 1% in seven countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Latvia,
Hungary and Poland).
In America, since 1975, researchers funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse have
annually surveyed nearly 17,000 high school seniors nationwide to determine trends in drug
use and to measure the students’ attitudes and beliefs about drug abuse. Between 1975
and 1997, the lowest period of LSD use was reported by the class of 1986, when 7.2% of
high school seniors reported using LSD at least once in their lives.
The percentage of seniors reporting LSD use at least once over the course of the prior year
nearly doubled from a low of 4.4% in 1985 to 8.4% in 1997. In 1997, 13.6% of seniors had
experimented with LSD at least once in their lives.
A study released in January 2008 found that about 3.1 million people in the US aged 12 to
25 said they had used LSD.
LSD is 4000 times stronger than mescaline.
“I started hanging out at strip clubs, casinos and became very promiscuous, visiting brothel
after brothel and soon to be introduced to other drugs.
“I had now lost all my inheritance and had to move into a crack house where I stayed for a
year watching people die, losing my business and becoming a thief.
“I was arrested in November 2003 for attempted hijacking and went to prison.
“I had hurt and lost everyone that loved me and I was disowned.
“I ended up homeless and on the streets living and sleeping in a cardboard box by the
[train] station, begging and struggling to find ways to get my next meal.” —Fred
LSD: A SHORT HISTORY
Albert Hofmann
Photo credit: The Albert Hofmann Foundation
Albert Hofmann, a chemist working for Sandoz Pharmaceutical, synthesized1 LSD for the
first time in 1938, in Basel, Switzerland, while looking for a blood stimulant. However, its
hallucinogenic effects were unknown until 1943 when Hofmann accidentally consumed some
LSD. It was later found that an oral dose of as little as 25 micrograms (equal in weight to a
few grains of salt) is capable of producing vivid hallucinations.
Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary, who promoted LSD and other mind-bending psychiatric drugs, was
arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes.
Photo credit: DEA/Timothy Leary arrest
Because of its similarity to a chemical present in the brain and its similarity in effects to
certain aspects of psychosis, LSD was used in experiments by psychiatrists through the
1940s, ’50s and ’60s. While the researchers failed to discover any medical use for the drug,
the free samples supplied by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals for the experiments were distributed
broadly, leading to wide use of this substance.
LSD was popularized in the 1960s by individuals such as psychologist Timothy Leary, who
encouraged American students to “turn on, tune in, and drop out.” This created an entire
counterculture of drug abuse and spread the drug from America to the United Kingdom and
the rest of Europe. Even today, use of LSD in the United Kingdom is significantly higher than
in other parts of the world.
Psychiatric mind-control programs focusing on LSD and other hallucinogens created a generation of
acidheads.
While the ‘60s counterculture used the drug to escape the problems of society, the Western
intelligence community and the military saw it as a potential chemical weapon. In 1951,
these organizations began a series of experiments. US researchers noted that LSD “is
capable of rendering whole groups of people, including military forces, indifferent to their
surroundings and situations, interfering with planning and judgment, and even creating
apprehension, uncontrollable confusion and terror.”
Experiments in the possible use of LSD to change the personalities of intelligence targets,
and to control whole populations, continued until the United States officially banned the
drug in 1967.
Use of LSD declined in the 1980s, but picked up again in the 1990s. For a few years after
1998 LSD had become more widely used at dance clubs and all-night raves by older teens
and young adults. Use dropped significantly in 2000 or so.
“The days following my LSD use, I was filled with anxiety and extreme depression. Following
my first ‘trip’ on LSD, I would eat it frequently, sometimes up to four or five times per week
for an extended period. Each time I would take the drug, mentally I was drifting more and
more out of reality. The eventual effect was the inability to feel normal in my own skin.” —
Andrea
1. 1.synthesize: to make (a drug) by combining chemicals.
2. WHAT DEALERS WILL TELL YOU
3. When teens were surveyed to find out why they started using drugs in the first place,
55% replied that it was due to pressure from their friends. They wanted to be cool
and popular. Dealers know this.
4.
5.
6. They will approach you as a friend and offer to “help you out” with “something to
bring you up.” The drug will “help you fit in” or “make you cool.”
7. Drug dealers, motivated by the profits they make, will say anything to get you to buy
their drugs. They will tell you that taking LSD will “expand your mind.”
8. They don’t care if the drugs ruin your life as long as they are getting paid. All they
care about is money. Former dealers have admitted they saw their buyers as “pawns
in a chess game.”
9. Get the facts about drugs. Make your own decisions.
10. “Within my own little trip world I started to get paranoid, feeling my friends were
conspiring to do something, maybe even kill me. I thought to myself, I have to get
out of here.
11. “I ran into my friend’s bedroom, opened the window as wide as it would go and
jumped out. Luckily for me my friend lived on the ground floor. I ran across a
wooded area toward a bridge. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster and faster.
I heard voices telling me I was going to have a heart attack and die.
12. “This was not the end. Years later, I was running and all of a sudden, bam, I was
having flashbacks of the time I was running in my trip. I started to have a bad panic
attack and heard voices telling me I was going to have a heart attack and die.
13. “I would tell anyone even thinking of taking LSD to reconsider.” —Brian
14.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE: A SERIOUS PROBLEM
15.
16. Photo credit: Stockexpert
17. Recreational use of prescription drugs is a serious problem with teens and young
adults. National studies show that a teen is more likely to have abused a prescription
drug than an illegal street drug.
18. Many teens think prescription drugs are safe because they were prescribed by a
doctor. But taking them for nonmedical use to get high or “self-medicate” can be just
as dangerous and addictive as taking illegal street drugs.
19. There are very serious health risks in taking prescription drugs. This is why they are
taken only under the care of a doctor. And even then, they have to be closely
monitored to avoid addiction or other problems.
20. Many pills look the same. It is extremely dangerous to take any pill that you are
uncertain about or was not prescribed for you. People can also have different
reactions to drugs due to the differences in each person’s body chemistry. A drug
that was okay for one person could be very risky, even fatal, for someone else.
21. Prescription drugs are only safe for the individuals who actually have the
prescriptions for them and no one else.
22.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
23.
24. Due to their potential for abuse and addiction, many prescription drugs have been
categorized by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in the same category as
opium or cocaine. These include Ritalin and Dexedrine (stimulants), and the
painkillers OxyContin, Demerol and Roxanol.
25. Many illegal street drugs were at one time used or prescribed by doctors or
psychiatrists but were later banned when the evidence of their harmful effects could
no longer be ignored. Examples are heroin, cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine and
Ecstasy.
26. Abuse of prescription drugs can be even riskier than the abuse of illegally
manufactured drugs. The high potency of some of the synthetic (man-made) drugs
available as prescription drugs creates a high overdose risk. This is particularly true
of OxyContin and similar painkillers, where overdose deaths more than doubled over
a five-year period.
27. Many people don’t realize that distributing or selling prescription drugs (other than
by a doctor) is a form of drug dealing and as illegal as selling heroin or cocaine, with
costly fines and jail time. When the drug dealing results in death or serious bodily
injury, dealers can face life imprisonment.
28.
TYPES OF ABUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
29. Prescription drugs that are taken for recreational use include the following major
categories:
30. 1. Depressants: Often referred to as central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
depressants, these drugs slow brain function. They include sedatives (used to make
a person calm and drowsy) and tranquilizers (intended to reduce tension or anxiety).
31. 2. Opioids and morphine derivatives:1 Generally referred to as painkillers, these
drugs contain opium or opium-like substances and are used to relieve pain.
32. 3. Stimulants: A class of drugs intended to increase energy and alertness but which
also increase blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.
33. 4. Antidepressants: Psychiatric drugs that are supposed to handle depression.
DEPRESSANTS
Sometimes called “downers,” these drugs come in multicolored tablets and capsules or in
liquid form. Some drugs in this category, such as Zyprexa, Seroquel and Haldol, are known
as “major tranquilizers” or “antipsychotics,” as they are supposed to reduce the symptoms
of mental illness. Depressants such as Xanax, Klonopin, Halcion and Librium are often
referred to as “benzos” (short for benzodiazepines1). Other depressants, such as Amytal,
Numbutal and Seconal, are classed as barbiturates—drugs that are used as sedatives and
sleeping pills. Some of the well-known brand and street names can be found here.
DEPRESSANTS: SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
















Slow brain function
Slowed pulse and breathing
Lowered blood pressure
Poor concentration
Confusion
Fatigue2
Dizziness
Slurred speech
Fever
Sluggishness
Visual disturbances
Dilated pupils
Disorientation, lack of coordination
Depression
Difficulty or inability to urinate
Addiction
Higher doses can cause impairment of memory, judgment and coordination, irritability,
paranoia,3 and suicidal thoughts. Some people experience the opposite of the intended
effect, such as agitation or aggression.
Using sedatives (drugs used to calm or soothe) and tranquilizers with other substances,
particularly alcohol, can slow breathing and the heart rate and even lead to death.
(Photo credit: Stockxpert)
DEPRESSANTS: LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Tolerance to many depressants can develop rapidly, with larger doses needed to achieve the
same effect. The user, trying to reach the same high, may raise the dose to a level that
results in coma or death by overdose.
Long-term use of depressants can produce depression, chronic fatigue, breathing
difficulties, sexual problems and sleep problems. As a dependency on the drug increases,
cravings, anxiety or panic are common if the user is unable to get more.
Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, weakness and nausea. For continual and high-dose
users, agitation, high body temperature, delirium, hallucinations and convulsions can occur.
Unlike withdrawal from most drugs, withdrawal from depressants can be life-threatening.
These drugs can also increase the risk of high blood sugar, diabetes, and weight gain
(instances of up to 100 pounds have been reported).
In a study conducted by USA Today, based on Food and Drug Administration data over a
four-year period, antipsychotics (a type of depressant) were the prime suspects in forty-five
deaths caused by heart problems, choking, liver failure and suicide.
“I have overdosed twice off of prescription pills (Zyprexa) and had a close friend die of the
same drug....There is no worse feeling than knowing that your friend is dead because you
gave him pills you knew relatively little about.” —Linda
ROHYPNOL
Rohypnol is a tranquilizer about ten times more potent than Valium. The drug is available as
a white or olive-green pill and is usually sold in the manufacturer’s bubble packaging. Users
crush the pills and snort the powder, sprinkle it on marijuana and smoke it, dissolve it in a
drink or inject it.
ROHYPNOL EFFECTS
Rohypnol has been used to commit sexual assaults because it renders the victim incapable
of resisting, giving it the reputation of a “date-rape” drug.
Rohypnol users often describe its effects as “paralyzing.” The effects start twenty to thirty
minutes after taking the drug, peak within two hours and may persist for eight or even
twelve hours. A person can be so incapacitated (made unable to act) they collapse. They lie
on the floor, eyes open, able to observe events but completely unable to move. Afterwards,
memory is impaired and they cannot recall any of what happened.
The person experiences loss of muscle control, confusion, drowsiness and amnesia.
Rohypnol is sold in Europe and Latin America as a sleeping pill, but it is illegal in the United
States.
OPIOIDS AND MORPHINE DERIVATIVES EFFECTS
Photo credit: S.F.P.
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
Short-term effects of opioids and morphine derivatives include:






Drowsiness
Slowed breathing
Constipation
Unconsciousness
Nausea
Coma
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Continued use or abuse of opioids can result in physical dependence and addiction. The
body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced
or stopped. These include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting,
and cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”). Tolerance can also occur, meaning that
long-term users must increase their doses to achieve the same high.
For more information about the abuse of painkillers, see The Truth About
Painkillers.
“A ‘friend’ of mine turned me on to oxys. I started with 40 mg tabs, then after a couple of
months I bumped up to 60 mgs. I was really addicted by this point and started chewing
them to get off quicker so I wouldn’t be sick. Had to have one in the morning when I got up
or I’d be sick. Had to have another before noon. Then a couple more in the afternoon and
evening. I knew I was hooked because I had to have them to function. I felt horrible without
them. Not only physically, but I couldn’t deal with people or life without them. Then I went
to 80 mgs and my world came tumbling down. I started stealing from everyone I knew to
get my fix....” —Charleen